A series of one shots based on Pokémon Special the manga. The pairings will be mostly Gold & Crystal, Ruby & Sapphire, Diamond & Platinum, Green & Blue, and Black & White. No more Silver & Soul or Red & Yellow. Completed!

Welcome to the final chapter of SE. This chapter will contain every pairing within SE with the exception of Silver & Soul. No such thing as Soul in this story anymore. … And that did not sound right…

Alert: not that it matters anymore, but SE's Age Relations has updated to Edition III… .5. III.5.

Fitting for the end of a random compilation, this chapter will have the compilation of all the first kisses of the 6 Dex Holder pairings of SE. Also fitting the story, the main focus will be on Gold & Crystal, to match the fact that SE started with that pairing. And the order will reflect my preference, from least liked pairing to the most.

Primary: Gold & Crystal.

The Start of Something:

Red & Yellow…

"Hey, Yellow!"

"Huh?"

The blonde haired girl glanced over her shoulder and spotted Red running over. With a bright smile, she ran towards him as well.

"Yellow, did you hear the rumor going around with the other Dex Holders?" the Kanto champion asked after a friendly wave.

"No. What rumor?"

"Apparently someone spread the rumor that we've been dating," Red said, failing to notice Yellow starting to blush. As always. "We had dinner together a few times. Is that what you call 'dating'?"

Yellow began to play with the tip of her hair nervously. "Well… um… I don't know. What did Blue say?"

"She just said "about time" and laughed. But I'm curious as to how and why that rumor started." Red looked into Yellow's eyes. "Would you know?"

"Wh – Why ask me?"

"Someone told me that you'd like the idea." Red lowered himself so he could meet Yellow's eye-level. "So… Do you like that idea?"

Yellow couldn't answer. Her cheeks were as bright red as the visible color spectrum would allow.

Red smiled. "Come on, Yellow. Spill it. I know y-"

Yellow somehow summoned up enough courage to quickly reach over and kiss Red, effectively interrupting him. He started to laugh once the girl embarrassedly backed away.

"So you do like that idea!" he said. "Alright then, so I guess we are dating now!"

Yellow looked up at Red again. "Does… does that mean… you're okay with it?"

Red smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Great! Thank you, Red!" she shouted happily as she embraced him. "… But who told you that I'd like the idea? Was it Blue?"

"But… who started the rumor then? I know I didn't." Yellow looked at Red's face and noticed that he was smiling, but in a way that looked like Blue whenever she was plotting something. "… Did you start it?"

Red looked at her and grinned. "… Yep."

…

Ruby & Sapphire…

"How'd I get involved in this…" Ruby muttered as he stared at the battlefield. Somehow, he was dragged into a Double Battle against Gold and Emerald. And of course, Sapphire was his partner.

"My birthday wish, remember?" Sapphire said with a grin. "You said you'd let me do whatever I wanted for my birthday, as long as it was reasonable. You deemed this to be reasonable."

"But did you have to add a stipulation for the losers? What is that stipulation anyways?"

"Blue suggested it," Sapphire said. "The losing team has to kiss."

"Wait, what?" Ruby said in disbelief.

"Wait, what?!" Gold and Emerald yelled at the same time. The two boys glanced at each other before focusing on the battle. "Oh, hell no! We can't lose!"

"I can't lose either!" Ruby yelled out.

Sapphire glared at him. "What? Am I not good enough for you?!"

"Can't you come up with a normal stipulation?" Ruby argued. "Like… being tossed into the ocean?"

"No! I've been planning this for a while now!"

"So this is your super-genius plan?"

"Yep! It took me many years, but I'll finally find out if you've been lying the whole time!"

"How would you know? I could kiss you but still not like you."

"Well then, I'll just have to wait another year and plan something else!"

"What if I just skipped your birthdays?"

"I live next door from you. You can't ignore me forever!"

Emerald groaned and rolled his eyes. "Would you two just stop flirting in public?!"

"Just get a damn room and work it out!" Gold added. "I'll send you there!"

Sapphire suddenly withdrew her Blaziken. Gold and Emerald took this opportunity to blast Ruby's Swampert.

"You know what this means!" Sapphire said as she grinned at Ruby. Knowing what was going to happen, she quickly took out the length of vine she always carried around in her bag. As expected, Ruby returned his Swampert and started to run like hell. "The hell you do!" With the vine, she dragged the fleeing Dex Holder back towards her and then tied his legs together.

"Sapphire, what are you doing?"

Sapphire pushed Ruby down to the dirty ground. He couldn't get up now that his legs were tied together. The girl grinned and jumped on top of him.

"You know what's coming!"

Gold and Emerald both turned away.

"I don't need to see this! Too much information!" Emerald yelled out.

"And I told you to get a damn room!" Gold yelled as well. "Public indecency, I tell you! … Speaking of which, I wonder how Crys is doing…"

Sapphire crossed her arms. "You're suddenly calm about this? You were struggling pretty hard until now."

"Considering how I'm lying on the horribly dirty ground with my newly washed clothes, with my legs tied, and a girl sitting on top of me in the middle of a route in broad daylight, the last thing I want to do is drag this out." Ruby then smiled at her in a way that made her blush. "Besides, kissing a pretty girl like you to get out of this situation isn't bad. It's like hitting two birds with one stone, really."

"Oh, now you're just feigning interest to get out of this situation," Sapphire said with a half-pout. "And flattery doesn't convince me, pal. You know what? I don't think I'll let you kiss me quite yet. Not until you can prove that you really do like me."

"You know where I live. You'll kill me in my sleep if I don't keep this promise… extenuating circumstances aside, that is."

Sapphire looked away and thought for a few seconds while Ruby kept squirming. "… Alright. But I'll beat your ass if this is a lie."

"… That sounded wrong, especially given the context."

"… I noticed."

Sapphire got off of Ruby and then pulled him off the ground by the collar of his shirt, much to his dismay. He complained about his stylish shirt being stretched out while she untied the vine binding his legs together.

"Now," Ruby started the moment Sapphire finished untying. "The only thing left to do is… run!"

"You son of a-"

Ruby didn't run though. He took one step before turning to face her again with a smile. "I'm just kidding. I'll keep my word, starting today."

Sapphire crossed her arms. "Really? For a second there, I really was thinking of ways to kill-"

Ruby leaned in and kissed her on the lips. An act that actually surprised her. But she enjoyed it.

"… Wow… Thanks," she said as she blushed. "So… I guess that was my first kiss?"

Ruby smirked. "That has got to be the weirdest first kiss in history. Not that it was bad, mind you."

"How about… we change this into a daily thing?" Sapphire suggested nervously.

"Sure, why not," Ruby said with a warm smile. "We can have our first official date tomorrow night."

Sapphire slightly narrowed her eyes. "Wait, why are you so eager about this all of a sudden? You spent years avoiding this topic."

Ruby let out a short laugh. "If I told you I liked you from the beginning, you wouldn't have tried so hard to get me to love you, now would you?" He then gave her a wink that made her slightly weak in the knees before he started to walk away.

Sapphire smiled brightly and followed. "Ruby, you devious jerk…"

…

Green & Blue…

"How are you doing, Blue?"

"It feels like my brain is trying to split into two, so… you tell me."

Blue was currently lying on a couch in Green's house while the Gym Leader sat on a chair right beside. The girl kept an ice pack on her forehead in an attempt to alleviate the terrible headache she was experiencing.

"What'd you do this time?" Green asked. "Did you spin around one too many times, or what?"

"No," Blue groaned out. "I think it has something to do with falling into a coma, waking up in like a day and not taking any time to rest and recover before being turned into a rock."

"But it's been two weeks since we returned to normal. Why now?"

"I don't know…"

Green looked at her pained expression for a few seconds. "Need some painkiller medicine?"

Blue lightly shook her head. "No. I don't think I can even sit up to take the pills." She let out a pained groan. "… I feel like death…"

"Huh?"

"Something tells me I'm going to die here…"

Green let out a short sigh. "Blue, stop being such a baby. You'll be fine. Everyone has a headache every now and then. I tend to get one whenever you barge into my house."

Blue painfully turned to look at him. "Is that what you're going to say to a friend who's about to die?"

"… Can you be honest with me just this once?" she asked. "And listen to my last words?"

"You're really believing that you're about to die, huh?"

"Please, Green. One last time… It's something I wanted to ask you for years now."

Green let out a sigh. "Alright, fine. I'll play along. What do you want?"

"… Every time I saw you over the years, you called me annoying. Red treats me very nicely, like a friend. But you… never did. … Do you think of me as a friend?"

"Of course I do. Is this what's been bothering you for years?"

Blue managed to nod. "You always called me annoying. Pesky. You say that I talk too much, that I interfere too much in other people's business. You never said one good thing to me."

Green didn't answer as he thought about how he treated Blue on a regular basis. Seeing his reaction, Blue continued.

"I really do value our friendship. I don't know if you do. Sometimes, I just feel like… going away. You're always cold to me and I don't want that. You always tell me to go away… do you really hate me like that?"

Green shook his head. "Blue, stop talking. You know that's not true. Have I ever insulted you over the years? Have I ever actively pushed you away?"

Blue closed her eyes as tears started to well in them. "… I just want to hear something nice from you… Is that too much to ask?" With much effort, she turned her body away from Green. "… I guess it is. I envy Crys. Gold compliments her so much. Even though the compliments are not entirely appropriate. She pretends that she doesn't like them, but I know she's happy." She let out a long sigh. "… I'll never be happy. Apparently I'm destined to die unhappy."

"Are you done?" Green asked.

"No," Blue answered. "You can't expect to release frustration and sadness built up for 12 years in a minute."

"You know, for someone who supposedly has a fatal headache, you're talking quite a lot. See, when people have a headache, they usually don't like to talk," Green commented. He smirked when he saw Blue visibly flinch. "But I understand what you mean, and I'm sorry. I do think of you as a friend. A close one, at that. And you'll probably never hear me say this again, so pay attention. I appreciate your company, even though I may occasionally tell you to go away."

Blue slowly turned to look at him again. "That's… better? So you do care about me?"

"Of course."

"Can you just say it for me?" she begged rather quietly, as if she really was about to die.

Green decided to cut this whole "dying" act short by giving her what she wanted. He pulled Blue a little closer and kissed her on her soft lips. He even held her hands while doing so.

Blue slowly closed her eyes as she enjoyed her first kiss. Green soon felt her grip on his hand loosen until she suddenly went limp. He quickly pulled back and looked at her expression. For a second, he was actually worried that Blue might be really dead.

"… You're not actually dead, are you?"

Blue didn't answer. So Green poked her on the side and lightly tickled her. "Of course not," she finally answered, unable to withstand the tickle torture. "I got what I wanted from this performance."

"You don't really have a headache, do you?"

Blue grinned as she opened her eyes. "Nope. Why would I get a headache from that coma and being turned into stone over two weeks after returning to normal?"

"Figures…" Green muttered as he shook his head.

"But I meant what I said," Blue said rather seriously.

Green nodded. "I know. So did I."

"Thanks." Blue sat up with ease and put the ice pack down. "Ow, my forehead is like… frozen solid now. I wouldn't be surprised if I get an actual headache from this." But she still smiled as she looked at Green. "So… I assume you won't be saying anything nice to me again?"

"I still might," Green said as he stood up. "As long as you don't try to trick me again like this."

"I only promise to try."

"Good enough." Green reached down and kissed Blue again. "Now, I need to return to work. Feel free to drop by whenever you want. Not that you don't to start with."

…

Bonus!

Aspertia City, 9 pm…

All the dorm room doors looked the damn same. He thought the female dorms were different, but apparently not. Figures. Identical features, just like uniforms. Of course, she would know all about that. Hugh checked the piece of paper he had in his hand. Room number 345. That was his target.

The moment he arrived in front of the door, he promptly kicked it open. He immediately spotted a girl he never saw before kissing a boy he also never saw before. Both the girl and the boy looked over at him in surprise.

"… Oops. Wrong door. My bad," Hugh muttered as he awkwardly proceeded to close the door again. "I saw nothing, by the way."

He closed the door, ignored the fact that it was still broken, and checked his sheet of paper. Damn, the 3 at the end looked like a 5. The room was 343. He moved down to the next door, and kicked that one open. Again, wrong door. Damn. That first 5 looked like a 3. So the real room was 543. Stupid messy writing…

Hugh quickly climbed two floors after apologizing countless times to the people he disturbed. Hoping that he got the right door this time, he kicked open the door to room 543. Yep. He got the right door this time. Third time's the charm, apparently.

He spotted her sitting on her desk, looking over at his direction in shock. She seemed to have understood the situation based on his expression.

"Hugh…" she muttered. She started to tremble and her eyes were wide open in terror.

Hugh ignored her. He needed proof first. He didn't really believe what he knew. Not yet. He looked around the room first. He clenched his teeth and his hands into fists when he saw the girl's open closet. There was a Team Plasma uniform in there.

"Hugh," the girl said again, trying her best to calm him down. "L – Listen to me…"

Hugh didn't listen to her. He stepped towards her and lifted her up to her feet by the collar of her shirt.

"Where's my sister's Purrloin?!" he demanded in anger. "Where?!"

"I – I don't know!" Faitsu cried out.

"Liar! Where is it?!"

"I – I told you, I-" the girl was interrupted by a strike across her cheek. "Ah!"

Hugh gritted his teeth as he now held the girl by her throat. "Now I see why you kept defending Team Plasma whenever we talked…"

Faitsu looked into Hugh's eyes and saw the burning hatred. She clenched her eyes shut and braced herself. There was no point in talking anymore. She knew that Hugh was always a bit on the reckless side, especially when compared to him. But right now, he had his irrational anger. Talking wasn't going to accomplish anything except give him a reason to hit her again.

…

"Hey! Rakutsu! Help!"

"Hm?"

Rakutsu glanced over and saw one of his classmates hastily running over towards him. The classmate looked quite panicked.

"You need to stop Hugh!"

"Huh?"

The classmate took a few seconds to catch his breath. "He's gone crazy! He charged over to the girls' dorm to find Faitsu! He says he has proof that she's a part of Team Plasma!"

Rakutsu blinked. "…Oh, no…" He quickly ran towards the girls' dorm. If Faitsu really was a part of Team Plasma… damn. Of course, he already read the reports. He just didn't want to believe it.

…

When Rakutsu arrived at Faitsu's room, Hugh was still in the middle of his rage-interrogation. He still looked enraged, even though he already seemed to have destroyed most of everything in the room. Faitsu was on her knees, her cheeks bruised and bleeding a little from the mouth.

"Tell me who has my sister's Purrloin!" Hugh demanded.

Faitsu didn't say anything. She still had her eyes shut. When she felt his fist rise, she visibly flinched and moved her arms to protect herself. Rakutsu quickly grabbed onto Hugh's arm.

"Stop!" he yelled. "She doesn't know!"

"You can't trust Team Plasma!" Hugh yelled angrily.

Rakutsu glanced around and spotted the Team Plasma uniform belonging to the girl. He looked over at Faitsu, who had opened her eyes but was avoiding eye contact with him.

"… Still, she's our friend, Hugh. We've known her for a few months now. She has no ill intention towards anyone."

"Intention? Some of the world's worst decisions are made with the best intentions! She may not have been directly involved, but she's still Plasma! I'll never forgive anyone in that group!"

"Hugh, I'll take care of this," Rakutsu said. "You're just going to make everything worse. If teacher Cheren finds out about this, you're doomed."

"That's not important!" Hugh then glared at Rakutsu. "Besides, how can you trust someone who's been hiding her true identity this whole time?!"

Rakutsu let out a long sigh. "Bloody hell. What makes you think that she's the only one?" he muttered quietly. Both Hugh and Faitsu looked at him in shock. Rakutsu sighed again as he took out his proof of identity. "You're making my job quite difficult, Hugh. But I am ordering you to back off and let me handle this."

Hugh looked at the proof of identity Rakutsu was holding over his face. "… International Police? … Seriously?"

Faitsu quickly looked away and put her hands over her face. Rakutsu put his ID away.

"Yeah. Just don't… tell anyone, alright? If people find out, they'll all stay away from me. I would be fine with that, but if all the girls stay away me too, then we have a problem." He grabbed Faitsu by her hand and pulled her up to her feet. "Now then. I'll go take care of this. Hugh, you… uh… I don't know. Hide in your room? You need to be able to deny the fact that you were here kicking down doors. Not helping your case if you… you know, stay right here."

Rakutsu then proceeded to drag Faitsu out of the room and towards the closest elevator. Luckily for him, there wasn't a crowd gathered outside the room. Only a small handful of girls seemed to wonder what the ruckus was about. But they all quickly scattered away when Rakutsu told them to. They must've heard of his identity now. Damn.

In the elevator, Faitsu kept her eyes on the floor while facing away from Rakutsu. He looked at her expression, trying to see what she was feeling right now.

"So…" he started in an effort to end the horribly awkward silence. "… Do you ever notice that no matter what direction you're going, no matter who you're with and where, elevator rides are always dreadfully awkward?"

Faitsu still didn't say anything. The dreadfully awkward silence continued. She took a glance at him once during the ride. She always thought he was charming. And a little flirty. But right now, he looked quite intimidating. He didn't seem like the Rakutsu she knew. Then again, she supposed that she never really knew him at all.

Rakutsu took her to Aspertia Outlook. He set her down on one of the benches while he leaned over the railing to look at the darkened Route 19. He couldn't see crap thanks to the no-sun problem. And the moon was covered by clouds. But still, he looked ahead, staring at the only street lamp in Route 19.

"… Why didn't you tell me?" he asked after a minute of silence.

"… The same reason why you didn't tell me," Faitsu replied at last.

"Why did you come to this school?"

"… So I could have a normal life outside Team Plasma."

Rakutsu sighed and slammed a fist onto the handrail. "Why did it have to be you? Why you? Why not one of those other girls? I came to this school because I heard that a Team Plasma member would be attending it. Why did that member have to be you?! I wouldn't have any problems if Ruri was a Plasma member. But why you?!"

"I'm so sorry. I didn't think this could happen."

"I always thought you were a good friend. … Why is it you?! Damn it!"

"… Are you going to arrest me?"

Rakutsu let out another explosive sigh. "… Yes. I have no choice." He slowly turned around, half expecting Faitsu to be gone. But she was standing behind him, with her arms stretched towards him, just waiting for him to handcuff her wrists. Damn it, she should've run.

"For whatever it's worth," she muttered quietly. "I'm sorry this had to happen. I always thought you were a great friend as well. And tell Hugh that I really don't know anything about his sister's Purrloin. I don't blame him at all for what happened tonight."

Rakutsu stared at her wrists, but didn't do anything. "Damn it…"

"Just hurry. You said you have no choice. I don't want to give you any more problems."

"I… really have no choice," he muttered. He looked at her and noticed the tears welling in her eyes. She could see the tears in his eyes as well and looked down in shame. "… No…"

Faitsu perked up. "What?"

"No. I'm not going to arrest you."

"Why not?"

"I just… can't." Rakutsu sighed again and gently held onto her hands. "Listen. I don't know how much you know about Team Plasma. Right now, we have to arrest all of you. But reports say that there are two distinct Team Plasma factions. One behaves exactly like the Team Plasma from two years ago. The other opposes them and supports the right ideals. I don't know the exact details, and I don't know which faction you are. So go. The only way you'll escape imprisonment is if you are really a part of the good Team Plasma. If not… please don't get caught by me. If you get caught again, there really is nothing I can do for you." He then took out his wallet and gave her all the money he had. "Here. Not sure if you need this or not, but it can't hurt."

Faitsu took the money with trembling hands. She wiped away the forming tears and bowed to him in gratitude. "… Thank you. Thank you so much. I won't ever forget this."

She looked into his eyes for a split second before she started to climb down the stairs. Rakutsu sadly watched her move farther away.

"Goodbye, Faitsu," he said. "Even if you are a part of the good Team Plasma, we will not meet again. I can't see you again. I'm ignoring my orders right now by releasing you. I will probably be reassigned elsewhere for this. So take good care of yourself."

Faitsu suddenly stopped and began to run up the stairs again. Rakutsu watched her in disbelief. Before he even knew what to say, she was standing in front of him once more.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "Run! Get out of here before it's t-" Rakutsu was cut off by Faitsu suddenly pressing her lips onto his for a kiss. Even when she backed away again, he remained frozen, simply blinking repeatedly with a blank look.

"This isn't goodbye," Faitsu said in a half-whisper, looking into his eyes with her watery blue ones. "We'll meet again. I promise. And when we do, I'll repay this debt."

She smiled at him for a short moment before she ran down the stairs again. Rakutsu watched her once again, but with a smile this time. He kept his eyes on her as she headed towards Route 19. She occasionally glanced back at the Outlook as she ran, as if she really didn't want to go. But eventually, she disappeared from his sight.

"… I'll look forward to that meeting, then," Rakutsu muttered. "With a bouquet of Gracidea Flowers, no less. … If I can afford it now. We'll see."

…

Black & White…

White stared at the one thing she hated most. Ferris wheel. She didn't know why though. She knew about N's childhood and his past. Even her Tepig had returned. Technically. She now had no reason to hate the Ferris wheel, but she hated it anyways. It was irrational. So she asked Black about it, after somehow coming to the conclusion that an irrationally reckless person would have the answers to irrational things. Turns out, he hadn't a clue. Damn. Well, it was a stupid theory, anyways. Pretty irrational. So it was irrational to ask an irrational person about irrational perks. … Huh. Who would've figured.

"Come on, Miss President," Black said from the side, snapping White out of her thoughts. "You can't stand in front of this thing forever. There's a line behind us."

White glanced backwards and saw a line of impatient looking couples, tapping their feet against the ground in frustration.

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"I promise you won't fall off this time," Black said. "I'll catch you if you do. But you won't."

"Yeah…"

The two Unova Dex Holders entered the Ferris wheel and took their seats. Black sat beside White so that he may be able to comfort her. If necessary.

As the Ferris wheel car started to rise into the air, Black felt White starting to tense. He looked at her and noticed that she had her eyes shut and was clenching her fists and teeth.

"You okay, Miss President?"

White quickly opened her eyes. "Y – Yeah… I was just… reminded of… that incident."

Black glanced out through the window. "So… Is this the height where you fell off?"

White smiled as she saw the spectacular sight of nighttime Nimbasa. "Yeah… it's so beautiful. I was really… sad that I couldn't come here to see this sight before." She let out a content sigh and rested her head against Black's shoulder. "Thank you so much for coming here with me."

Black blushed a little and leaned his head a little against hers. "You're welcome, Miss President. Any time you need me, you know I'll be there to help you."

"Black, do you… like me?" White asked all of a sudden.

"Wh – Why do you ask?"

"You take care of me so much, you know? I really like you, Black. And I was just curious."

"Well, Miss President," Black stammered out. "I really do l-"

Just as he spoke, he turned to look at White. The girl was turning to look at him at the same time. And before either Unova Dex Holder knew what was about to happen, their lips met in a completely accidental kiss. Both Dex Holders immediately pulled back in embarrassment at first, but just as quickly, leaned forward once again for a proper kiss this time.

The two remained kissing each other until the Ferris wheel car stopped at the bottom. The two Dex Holders got off the Ferris wheel while still holding each other's hand, looking perfectly happy.

"Thank you so much for tonight, Black," White said after a content sigh. "I really had fun."

"Me too," Black said.

"So can we do this again tomorrow?" White asked rather sheepishly.

Black grinned. "Why wait until tomorrow? Let's go again right now!"

He dragged White back towards the Ferris wheel and entered the Ferris wheel car again, thereby cutting in front of everyone who was waiting in line. White simply giggled in joy and took her seat next to Black. The two Unova Dex Holders looked at each other and smiled when the Ferris wheel started to move again.

…

Diamond & Platinum…

"They say that a first kiss is always in the middle of a sentence."

Blue said that to Platinum at one point. And ever since then, the heiress was nervous whenever she was around Diamond. Sure, she loved him. And he loved her. But both Sinnoh Dex Holders were afraid to express their feelings. With Blue's 'advice' in mind, Platinum couldn't quite decide if she wanted to talk in front of Diamond.

If a first kiss is always in the middle of a sentence, does that mean she should constantly talk in order to 'prompt' Diamond to kiss her?

According to Blue, yes. Apparently, when a girl talks nonstop, most guys would want to shut her up by kissing her. But Platinum knew that Diamond wasn't that type. Knowing him, he'd wait forever until she stopped talking on her own. If Diamond kissed her then, wouldn't that technically mean that the kiss wasn't really a first kiss? Then again, that claim was binary. It was either true or false, with nothing in between. If there was a single counter-proof, then that statement would be mathematically false. And Platinum had no intention of being that counter-proof.

So, if Diamond wasn't going to ever interrupt her with a kiss, did that mean she had to do it to him? That would be very hard. Platinum didn't think that she would be able to kiss him first. Even just thinking about it would turn her into a nervous wreck. And Diamond was very good at detecting emotions. If he realized what she was going to do, he'd stop talking and she'd become that counter-proof.

Drat.

Platinum quickly shook away the thoughts without physically shaking her head. Diamond was looking at her right now. And he wasn't talking. He seemed to be waiting for her reaction. Maybe an answer to a question. And since the heiress hadn't been paying any attention to what he was saying, she hadn't a clue how to respond. So she would just be honest.

"I – I am terribly sorry, Diamond, but I was lost in thought. Could you repeat what you were saying?"

Diamond smiled. "I was just asking why you looked so nervous. Relax, Lady. What were you thinking about?"

"It was something senior Blue had told me," Platinum answered. "And… I really do not know what to make of it."

"Oh. What did she say?"

Platinum started to blush. "Well… um… It is not easy to say…" She sheepishly looked into Diamond's eyes. 'Should I kiss him when he starts to talk?'

"If you need my help in anything, you know you can rely on me, Lady," Diamond said with a smile. "If something's bothering you, I will always try my b-"

Platinum took a deep breath. 'As senior Gold would say, the hell with it!' She was about to reach over and interrupt-kiss Diamond. But sadly, she couldn't summon enough courage. 'Ah, no! I – I cannot do it!'

"-est to help you in any way," Diamond finished.

The heiress took a nervous gulp. 'I have no choice. I have to wait for Diamond to kiss me. Which means, I will continue to talk so that he may interrupt me. I wish I had enough courage, but I do not. I can only hope that Diamond has more. Until he kisses me, I shall continue talking. What did senior Sapphire call it? Random babbling? Or was it random blabbing?' "I know I can always rely on you, Diamond," she said with a smile. "And I hope that it will never change."

"It won't."

"Oh Diamond, did you hear that senior Red and senior Yellow have finally gone for a dinner date?"

Platinum started by mentioning her seniors going on dates. It was a good way to prompt Diamond to focus on his relationship with her. And he probably already heard about what she was going to tell him, so he wouldn't be overly interested. If she talked about something else, there was a risk that Diamond would be too interested in listening and completely forget about kissing her. That would be very sad.

Diamond occasionally glanced into the distance while listening to Platinum ramble. Something definitely felt a little odd. For one, the heiress seemed extremely nervous a few moments ago. And now, she was talking about her seniors going out on dates even though every Dex Holder knew about them already. And she was talking nonstop. She was talking so quickly and without stopping that he found it surprising that she wasn't experiencing lack of air.

For the first time ever, he found that listening to her talk was… boring. So he glanced into the distance to see if there was anything interesting going on. And maybe Platinum would get the hint and say something interesting. But apparently she didn't notice, as she still rambled on about something not remotely interesting. Something about peach farming. How the topic changed from senior Dex Holders going on dates to peach farming, Diamond would never know.

As Diamond half-listened to Platinum's gibbering, a thought suddenly occurred. The heiress wasn't randomly blabbing. She first talked about her seniors going out on dates. She then talked about peach farming and that she wanted to go alone with him. And right now, she was babbling about an incredibly fancy restaurant and that she wanted to go there with him. So she was aiming for something…

He wanted to find out what. But she was not shutting up anytime soon. So he had to interrupt her in a way that wasn't rude.

So he did the first thing that came to mind. He reached over and kissed her soft lips, effectively shutting her up. The heiress seemed pleasantly surprised.

"Th – Thank you, Diamond," she stammered out afterwards, her cheeks flushed red. "I – I have been… um… waiting for you to do that."

"Really?"

Platinum nodded. "I… um… I love you, Diamond. And I know that you love me too. Senior Blue told me that a first kiss always occurs in the middle of a sentence. Even though it is very easy for that statement to be mathematically false, I am glad that our case will not be a counter-proof. I was worried that you would not interrupt me, which was why I was trying to be as least interesting as I could manage."

Platinum gave her friend a quick embrace. "Now that our feelings are in the open… would you like to accompany me for dinner? In the lavish restaurant of Hearthome City?"

"I'd be glad to."

…

Gold & Crystal…

"Alright Gold, you lost again. So you know what this means."

Gold grumbled but still knelt on the ground in front of Crystal and bowed. "Oh, please tell me your order, Miss Crystal."

Crystal grinned as she crossed her arms. "Hmm… okay. I want you to buy and deliver a fancy lunch for the orphans in Earl's Academy today."

"… It will be done!"

…

A few hours later…

…

Gold slammed a game board on the table in front of Crystal. "Alright Super Serious Gal, let's go again!"

Crystal looked up from the book she was reading. "Again?"

"Yeah! I'm not going to lose this time!"

Crystal let out a short laugh and set the book down after marking her place with a bookmark. "Alright, Gold. I'll play along."

…

"Damn it!" Gold yelled out.

"There. Completely annihilated for the 4th time in a row," Crystal said with a smirk. "You know what this means."

Again, Gold grumbled but bowed in front of Crystal to receive her order. This time, he had to deliver dinner to everyone working in Professor Oak's lab.

Gold came back again, just as Crystal was about to return home for the night. With a sigh, she played the board game against him once more. And again, won. And this time, she ordered him to prepare her breakfast in the morning.

Next day, after eating the surprisingly wonderful breakfast prepared by Gold, Crystal headed towards the Pokémon Center, where she was supposed to meet Platinum. The heiress was going to volunteer at the orphanage occasionally, and Crystal was going to tell her what to do. And Gold, being incredibly stubborn, followed her.

"Hello, senior Crystal," Platinum said with a bow the moment her senior entered the Pokémon Center.

"Hi, Platinum, nice to see you," Crystal said with a wave.

"Senior Gold?" the heiress muttered upon spotting Gold enter as well.

"Hey," Gold said with a short wave. He them immediately focused on Crystal. "Alright Super Serious Gal, let's go at it again! I'm going to win this time!"

Crystal let out a sigh. "Gold… seriously?"

"Come on! What are you waiting for? Let's do it!"

"You lost like… seven times in a row. What makes you think you'll win this time?"

"It was five times, for your information! And I'm not going to give up!"

Platinum looked back and forth between her two Johto seniors. "Um… what is happening?"

Crystal shook her head and looked over at her junior. "Gold is making the same bet again and again. If he wins, I have to take him to a dinner date and kiss him at the end. If I win, he has to do whatever I tell him to. He lost five times straight, but… well, you know Gold. He never gives up."

"So why don't you give up?" Gold asked her. "I'll come back no matter how many times I lose!"

"Because, Gold, I want my first kiss with someone mature and handsome. Not someone like you," Crystal answered. "Besides, I'm too busy to go on a din-"

Gold quickly reached over and kissed Crystal on the lips. She tried to push him away, but Gold forced her hands still. Eventually she stopped struggling.

"There, now you have one less reason to go on this dinner date with me," Gold said with a grin afterwards.

A mix of emotions appeared on Crystal's face. She looked quite upset for having her space violated, but at the same time, she appeared happy and pleasantly surprised.

"You… you jerk!" she growled out eventually, trying to sound very angry. "You know what? Fine! I'll take you on again. And if I win, I'm going to order you to stay away from me for a month!"

"Bring it on!"

Platinum watched nervously as her two seniors started to play the board game in front of her. She didn't want her two seniors to fight. She really didn't want them to separate either. So she decided to intervene. She watched the board game progress. Each time Gold was about to do something stupid and/or make a wrong move, Platinum pressed her foot onto Gold's from underneath the table. Gold would then understand and put the game piece back down.

Crystal frowned. She found it surprising that Gold wasn't being a reckless idiot in the game. But because she was partially distracted by that sudden first kiss, she failed to suspect Platinum of anything.

Crystal couldn't focus on the game. That sudden kiss was… very distracting. 'My first kiss… I wanted it with someone very handsome, smart, kind and… mature. Not with Gold… But it wasn't bad. … I guess Gold is kind of good looking. And he is kind when he chooses to be. Only if he was smart and mature…' A thought occurred and she found herself feeling a little regret. 'Maybe… maybe I can fill in the missing brains and maturity in Gold. If I can help him become smarter and more mature, he would become perfect… for me… But knowing Gold, he probably already had a few girlfriends…'

Thanks to her distraction and Platinum secretly assisting, Gold managed to win the game. Crystal stared at the board in shock. But she wasn't entirely upset. She did cast a suspicious glance at Platinum, who was busy looking innocent and avoiding eye contact.

"… Alright Gold, you win," Crystal admitted. "… I'll go on this date with you. But you better be paying."

"What? Why?"

"Since when did the girl pay for a dinner date?"

"Fine, whatever."

…

Several hours later, Crystal found herself wearing a fancy blue dress and looking at Gold across the table in the most expensive restaurant in Violet City. While Gold was grinning like an idiot, Crystal was still experiencing bits of anger and frustration along with anxiety and anticipation. She was angry because her first kiss was 'stolen', frustrated because Gold really wasn't acting like her ideal date, anxious because of her hopes of having her first date, and anticipation because she believed that Gold could make this dinner date really good.

And although Crystal initially expected Gold to embarrass her in the fancy restaurant, he actually showed quite a lot of manners and did not make an ass of himself. In fact, he was quite charming.

Gold grinned. "Well, I did want to make tonight quite special. After all, we did share the first kiss. You were the first one to be kissed by me, and I'm the first one you've ever kissed too. And as such, our first date needs to be special."

Gold shuddered at his own comment while Crystal blushed. And following that comment, both Johto Dex Holders temporarily avoided eye contact.

"Um… How come you're… good mannered today? All the other times, you…"

"Once our date was confirmed, I forced Platinum to teach me the basics," Gold answered. "It didn't work out too well, but I guess it was enough."

"So you really… care about me, huh?" Crystal said with an embarrassed smile. "You took so much effort into having this date with me."

"Of course," Gold said. "We're good friends, aren't we? And you know I'm not capable of this mushy stuff, so I really hope I don't have to say it."

Crystal grinned. Of course she had an idea of what Gold was going to say. But she was still going to make him say it. It would… amuse her. And embarrass the crap out of her, probably.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "You don't have to say what?"

"… Don't make me say it, Crys," Gold said with a slight groan. "You'll make fun of me for years to come."

"Oh, come on. It can't be that bad."

Gold grumbled a little. And Crystal smiled. "Alright, let's just say that… Ever since I first saw you," he managed to start. "I… wanted to be friends. You can 'upgrade' that comment in your mind."

"Not sure I follow you," Crystal lied.

Gold groaned loudly. "… Just… promise me you won't tell anyone."

"I only promise to try."

Gold let out a long sigh. He then chugged down his glass of water. "Okay. Ever since I saw you, I… … was in love with you," he blurted out quickly and quietly. "And I've been trying to go out with you for years now. And I really care about you."

Again, he shuddered at his own comment while Crystal tried her absolute best to suppress her laughter.

"Wow, thanks, Gold," she said at last. "And… that was really… mushy. Too much, even for you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Gold poured himself another glass of water and chugged it down. "Anyways, I'm surprised that you're not really angry with me. You really looked like you never wanted to see me again."

Crystal shrugged. "I admit, I was a little angry. I wanted to share my first kiss and my first date with someone handsome, smart, kindhearted, and mature. But then again, I do think that two of the categories matched you."

"So 50% was good enough for you?"

Crystal shook her head. "No. But I thought about it. You are a good friend, so I felt you deserved a shot. And besides, you are kind of… good looking and kindhearted. The other two categories may come in time. But in the meantime, I think I'll be happy with how you are right now. And I do appreciate your care. Thanks, Gold."

Gold smiled. "So you don't regret what happened today?"

"Not even a little bit."

Note: the "special guest" pairing is obviously… well, rough, compared to the rest. The names are in Japanese (even those who already have actual English names), the personalities are mere extrapolations of the little proofs currently given, and… yeah. This was a necessary practice run for their future appearances. Oh yeah, for those who don't know, Rakutsu is the male player character (PC) of BW2, Faitsu is the female PC, and Ruri is Yancy. Of course, for Rakutsu and Faitsu, given their… occupation, it's entirely possible that their real names are still unknown. Oh yeah, spoiler alert, not that it matters since it's too late.

When SE began, there was an experimentation pairing, namely Silver & Soul. Now, at the end of SE, there's another experimentation pairing, namely Rakutsu & Faitsu. Another book-end, so to speak. Don't exactly know why the female PC of HGSS games didn't become a separate character while the male and female PCs of BW2 did, but meh, whatever.

Next up: nothing.

Goal achieved. SE has finally ended, and before its third anniversary. It was the most neglected story of all of my current ones, yet it was the only story that never disappointed me. It supported the start of all of the other stories, yet became more and more impressive as time passed.

Probably no one from the early days of SE is still reading this. After all, when SE started, I didn't have any followers looking for some story based on Pokémon Special.

Thank you all so much for following this story, through the 40 chapters and total of 43 one-shots. For those who read the other stories, I will hopefully see you there. For the others, now is as good as a time as any to start.

Final note:There will not be an SE2. I did think about it, but a sequel to a random compilation makes no sense. Besides, if I was going to make a sequel, I would've just added that sequel part to SE. Random compilation + random compilation = a bigger random compilation.

However, I may make a successor to SE that uses Age Relations Edition V and the decision that follows it. Keep an eye out for that one.

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.